The IHEDN Chair in Defence Economics co-organised the Brno Workshop on Defence Economics alongside Masaryk University and MBDA, 15 and 16 June 2026 in Brno (Czech Republic)
This event provided an ideal forum for the presentation and discussion of research in the field of defence economics, particularly from a European and transatlantic perspective. Researchers, academics and industry experts were thus able to exchange views on the key economic, industrial and strategic issues relating to defence.
On this occasion, Josselin Droff and Julien Malizard presented a paper co-authored with Luka Aleksic, entitled «Strategic Autonomy Ambitions in European Defence Aeronautics: A Comparative Study of Four Major Fighter Aircraft Programmes».
- This research analyses the tensions between the ambitions strategic autonomy European states and the increasing globalisation supply chains in the military aerospace sector. Based on the analytical framework of the «smile curve», The study compares four major fighter aircraft programmes : the F-35 Lightning II, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Rafale and the Gripen.
- Based on an analysis of around 1,000 suppliers, the study highlights several models of strategic autonomy. The Rafale is characterised by a strong national industrial control, but remains heavily dependent on exports. The’Eurofighter represents a form of’collective European autonomy, which requires complex coordination between partners. The F-35 is based on a globalised supply chain dominated by the US companies and backed by a vast domestic market. Finally, the Gripen illustrates the constraints faced by smaller states, characterised by a low proportion of domestic suppliers and a heavy reliance on external markets.
- The findings highlight that strategic autonomy is not a binary situation, but a continuum of trade-offs between sovereignty, industrial efficiency, market access and international cooperation.
Furthermore, Alexandre Giorgi, a PhD student and research associate at the Chair, gave a presentation on European defence cooperation, entitled «All in, each apart: arms cooperation, portfolio logic and the limits of financial incentives amongst the LoI-6 states, 1990–2025».
- His work examines the dynamics of cooperation between the major European arms-producing states and highlights the limitations of financial incentive mechanisms when they come up against national priorities regarding defence capabilities and industrial capacity.
The Chair’s participation in this scientific event demonstrates its commitment to international academic debates on the economic and industrial challenges facing the defence sector, as well as its contribution to the discussion on the future of European defence cooperation.
